Pedestrian robbed by two men in West Lafayette

A robbery in West Lafayette early Wednesday marked the second such crime in four days and has police looking at whether the two might be related.

A man walking in the area of Columbia Street near River Road was tackled around 2:55 a.m. by two men, whom the victim said were armed with a gun and a knife. They took his backpack, which contained his wallet and cellphone, according to West Lafayette police. Police are checking to determine if the two bandits actually were armed.

The victim, who walked to his apartment before calling police, said the two men who robbed him ran west on Columbia Street, according to police.

Police contacted the Tippecanoe County Sheriff Office, which had a deputy on duty who had a police dog. The dog tracked the scent west to a dumpster on Littleton Street, where they found the victim's backpack. Inside the backpack, police found the victim's wallet, minus its cash, and the cellphone.

The police dog did not pick up a track beyond the dumpster area, police said.

This was the second robbery in four days in the same general area.

Around 1 a.m. Saturday, a man walking home from the bars in the Village was tackled and robbed in the 400 block of North Chauncey Avenue. Police are trying to determine if the two crimes are connected by a common suspect.

West Lafayette police Capt. Gary Sparger suggested that if someone is robbed, try to call 911 immediately if it is safe to do so. In both robberies, the victims walked to their apartments before calling police. This gives the suspects more time to get away and prevents police from immediately checking the area, Sparger said.

Anyone with information on either robbery is asked to contact West Lafayette police at 765-775-5200 or call the We Tip Hotline at 800-782-7463.